Parkinson's Dance Project gets everyone up and moving

KATE BYRNES HAS been living with Parkinson's since 1997. But for 90 minutes last Tuesday, the former special education teacher wasn't defined by her medical condition.

"I was a dancer instead of a person with Parkinson's," says Byrnes, 62, of Santa Venetia who attended her first dance class for people who have the slow, progressive degenerative neurological disease. "They treated me with dignity."

Byrnes' experience isn't the main focus of the Parkinson's Dance Project, the free drop-in class, offered every first, third and fifth Tuesday by Marin Dance Theatre in San Rafael. The class is structured to get those with Parkinson's moving — essential to help improve balance and flexibility, strengthen muscles and boost coordination. But there is no denying that the classes bring a certain amount of levity and connection to those with the disease, as well as their caregivers, who often feel isolated.

"I see a fantastic sense of community and a safe space for them to extend themselves and take risk with movement. I see a lot of joy and enthusiasm and smiles," says Torri Campbell, a clinical psychologist and former professional dancer who helped start the program three years ago and co-teaches with Brigid Hoag, a dance teacher with MDT.

"People who are diagnosed with Parkinson's often end up focusing on their symptoms, their disease, their medical appointments, and we really want to create a place where they can come and be dancers," she says.

Last week, a group of about 20 — students, spouses and caregivers — gathered in the auditorium at St. Vincent's, some like Byrnes for the first time. Classes begin with gentle, warm-up exercises and stretches while sitting that everyone can do, no matter how far along their disease is and whether they're in a wheelchair or not. Campbell talks them through movements — "Try to find the freedom in your spine." "Be careful and slow." — while Rob Ellis plays soft tunes on the piano.

About 40 minutes into the class, Ellis picks up the pace on the piano and almost everyone is standing and dancing. Close to the end of the class, Campbell and Hoag stop giving directions and let the students free dance or dance in pairs.

"Sometimes spouses dance together. They never get an opportunity to do that, so there's a lot of joy around that," says Campbell, who lives in San Rafael and also teaches movement to seniors at the Redwoods in Mill Valley and family dance at Luna Dance Institute in Marin City.

A few years ago, she attended a talk by Mark Morris, creator of the Mark Morris Dance Group, in which he mentioned the Dance for Parkinson's Disease program his group founded in 2001. She immediately flew to Brooklyn, N.Y., where the modern dance company is based, to be trained. She convinced MDT artistic director Margaret Swarthout that the program would be a good fit for the 18-year-old dance school.

"It's been really special," Swarthout says. "It's been such a wonderful thing for us to do and to be able to use our medium of dance. It's an opportunity for us to give back."

Don Errante, 78, a retired pediatrician who lives in Larkspur, has been going to the classes since the beginning. His wife of 29 years, Lois, began joining him two years ago when he could no longer drive himself.

"A lot of people with Parkinson's, motivation is a big problem, and they're not motivated to do these things unless they're in a group," Lois Errante, 75, says.

The class helps her as much as it benefits her husband, one of the nearly 1 million Americans with the disease.

"I've gotten to meet more people, people who are fun to be with, and see how they're doing. It's a tough disease," she says.

"I'm just in awe of what the dancers in this class come up with," says Hoag of San Rafael. "We offer them a different way of expressing themselves. You can just see the difference that it makes."

What: Parkinson's Dance ProjectWhen: 1 to 2:30 p.m. every first, third and fifth TuesdayWhere: Auditorium, Marin Dance Theater, One St. Vincent's Drive, San RafaelAdmission: Free, donations acceptedInformation: 819-2066; http://bit.ly/1akYTRUMore: An open house and fundraiser for the Parkinson's Dance Project will take place at 1 p.m. Feb. 9 in the St. Vincent's auditorium. Contact Torri Campbell at 819-2066 or torriacampbell@yahoo.com.